In a follow-up experiment, two identical gurneys are placed side-by-side on a ramp with their wheels locked to eliminate spinning. Gurney 1 has a dummy placed on it to give it a total mass of 200 kg, while Gurney 2 is loaded with a dummy that makes it only 50 kg overall. If the ramp has a coefficient of friction of μs, which gurney is more likely to slide down the ramp?

Question

Jean Fitzgerald

Physics

2 January, 06:30

In a follow-up experiment, two identical gurneys are placed side-by-side on a ramp with their wheels locked to eliminate spinning. Gurney 1 has a dummy placed on it to give it a total mass of 200 kg, while Gurney 2 is loaded with a dummy that makes it only 50 kg overall. If the ramp has a coefficient of friction of μs, which gurney is more likely to slide down the ramp?

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Answers (1)

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Nancy Long · Answer 1

Gurney 2 is more likely to slide.

Explanation:

We know static friction force is equal to the mass of the object times coefficient of friction.

Static friction force is the frictional force applied to the object which prevents the body to slip or slide when the body is at rest.

Now in the question, the gurney 1 which is placed in the ramp has a total mass of 200 kg and the coefficient of friction between the ramp and the gurney is μ.

And the gurney 2 place on the same ramp has a total mass of 50 kg and coefficient of friction μ between the ramp and the gurney 2.

Both the gurneys are at rest initially, means they are acted upon by static frictional force.

Mathematically, Static friction force = mass x coefficient of friction

So static friction depends on mass and since it is clear that the gurney 1 has a greater mass of 200 kg than the gurney 2 which has a total of 50 kg.

Therefore gurney 1 has greater static friction that is acted upon it which restricts it to slide or slip.

So, gurney 2 is more likely to slide down the ramp.